Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Metro/Subte/Tube/Subway
Looking back, it's crazy the amount of discussions about subways that I've had... We are obsessed with the way we travel it would seem, and make our cities' subterranean systems compete with others to decide whose subway's best. Recently I was told that the Tube (i.e. London) sucked but I must say I quite like it, even if it feels like it's a bit slow. The NY subway, now that one's a bummer because it's fairly complicated; nothing like the Parisian Metro in which you can go from one metro to the next for a connection with eyes closed because the same line will always stop in the same place at the same times. And they tell you when they'll close stations for works ages in advance...
Apart from this competitive aspect (and I'm sure you'd all have something to say about it, you can vote if you want and we'll see who wins :p), subways tend to really help appropriate a town. I've lived in Paris most of my life and if anyone gives me an address my first reaction will be to ask which metro stop is nearest, so as to have a clue where the place is. My subterranean notion of the map of Paris, or NY, or London for that matter, is way better than that of above the ground. For Buenos Aires, the effect was really striking. I took the Subte the last day I was there and all of a sudden the town became understandable. Up to there it had been taxi taxi taxi (because they're so cheap) and it made the city look huge, unbelievably large. However, as soon as I got underground and used the Subte to go from one end to the other, I started feeling like hey, maybe I could live in that town, and having a much better appreciation of how the town works. It just becomes human when you know that with 45 minutes underground, you can get anywhere in the town by your own means.
So yeay for underground systems!!
# posted by V @ 9:53 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
Appropriate? I am guessing you mean something like organize or maybe simplify?
# posted by 
: 12:21 PM
: 12:21 PM
Subways... How can you like them??? And the London subway is probably the worst, may be the largest but desperately needs new lick of paint (except of course the Jubilee line)... I spent so much time being squashed on the central line that sometimes I worry if someone at the front is going to be accidently pushed onto the tracks! as for the NY subway... yeah, its fine during the day but in the late nights if you have to go from NY to Newark(prob. about 11pm/12pm), the trains are so empty that makes you feel nervous when someone does come in!
However, the nicest subway I've been on is the one in the Czech Republic just because it's so new, so clean and marble type stone everywhere that you can't help but like it! however, give it a few years...
No... for me, until they clean it up a bit, control rush hours... I will continue not to like it :-(
Having said that, where's the photo taken? That looks like a really nice subway entrance :-)
However, the nicest subway I've been on is the one in the Czech Republic just because it's so new, so clean and marble type stone everywhere that you can't help but like it! however, give it a few years...
No... for me, until they clean it up a bit, control rush hours... I will continue not to like it :-(
Having said that, where's the photo taken? That looks like a really nice subway entrance :-)
# posted by : 2:44 PM
: 2:44 PM
Na I meant appropriate, like make yours. I don't mean in a conquerror's manner of course, just feeling like the town is ;ore accessible, understandable and ultimately like you can belong in it kind of thing because you know it well... I regret not to be able to hug Paris sometimes if you see what I mean :p
Yep Lee, back at SLC. I'm in the library, being bad and chatting with David instead of reading my linguistics books!
Jack, what strong passions the subway inspire in you!! I like the subway because it gets me places quickly and cheaply! And even tho I hate it when people are glued to each other and all hot and sweaty, I am pretty used to it after years and years of use and it's just a handy part of my life. Without a subway I'd feel weird in a town, sort of like if there weren't lampposts!
Post a Comment
Yep Lee, back at SLC. I'm in the library, being bad and chatting with David instead of reading my linguistics books!
Jack, what strong passions the subway inspire in you!! I like the subway because it gets me places quickly and cheaply! And even tho I hate it when people are glued to each other and all hot and sweaty, I am pretty used to it after years and years of use and it's just a handy part of my life. Without a subway I'd feel weird in a town, sort of like if there weren't lampposts!
<< Home
